Walk Your Dog To Wellness

Every dog owner will know of a dog left in the garden for days, even weeks at a time. A poor creature alone and imprisoned with nothing to break the boredom, barking or crying in their frustration and misery.  

Owners of these dogs will often profess to love them. They will cite giving their dog fuss, treats and cuddles. But those actions are about giving pleasure to the owner - not of value to the dog.

Sadly there are too many owners failing in their responsibilities to their dog because they neglect to meet the most basic requirement – a dog’s need for quality exercise.

My dog of a lifetime, Harry (a German Shorthaired Pointer) never put a foot wrong and was just perfect in everyway. The only time he ever became destructive was following an injury when he had to be confined to the house for ‘bed rest’ for 2 weeks – at which point I caught him chewing and ripping up the carpet! But he never, ever, did that before and he never did it again once he was recovered and we got him back to his normal long daily outings.

TV programme presenters visiting unhappy or troubled ‘problem dogs’ invariably end up advising owners to exercise their dogs more often and for longer. One TV programme reported how obesity in dogs is dramatically on the increase. Apparently with busy lives more owners are taking their dogs out on leash for less time than ever, often only 20 minutes a day. Unless you are talking about a small, old dog anyone must know this is woefully inadequate.

Blaming Pooches resembling Porkers on lack of exercise researchers did a test to see if they could prove the point. They attached a GPS recorder to a dog allowed to run free as the owner walked. The stats showed the dog covered a distance 5 times further than the owner!  What a difference!

If as many as 90% of all dog related problems could be resolved by regular quality exercise sessions - what constitutes sufficient exercise?

As a guide, 45 mins (ideally 60 mins for medium/large breeds) of leash free exercise should take place every day. But at minimum three/four times a week. An exercised Fur Pal is a happier, more balanced dog. More exercise outside =  more settled, less whining and no longer destructive at home inside.

A dog that sleeps for hours when you get back from exercise is good indicator that they’re getting time appropriate exercise.

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At the Hound Dog Hotel active and stimulating exercise sessions are an integral part of the totality of my service - crucial for individual dog happiness and pack harmony.

But our outings are no walk in the park!  Hound Dog Hotel sessions are daily Epic Adventures, full of interaction with other dogs (and me) where there is fun and play. My focus in on challenging all my Dogs’ senses and enrich their experience with smells, water & swimming, ball chasing - and by keeping them on the move.

GPS recording of the total time and the distance. I send owners these after every outing.

These Epic Adventures are long in time and in distance. My Garmin GPS records I walk between 2 to 2.5 miles. Based on the TV programme saying off leash dogs do 5 times more than a walking human, my doggies guests could be doing 10 miles a day! No wonder they are such happy hounds!

An unexercised dog is stressed and tense. But dogs out running and playing burn off excess energy. Then, when they return to the Hotel, they’re calm and content, ready settle down to snooze as a member of a well adjusted and relaxed pack.  

Exercise sessions at the Hound Dog Hotel are key to the success of my service. The following accolade is taken from a reference from the owner of Ruben, a large and super energetic Boxer. What Lisa said is something of which I am particularly proud as it accurately sums up the exercise component of my service:

The “Walk” that Maralyn takes the dogs on each day is amazing, they get to run, play, swim and meet other dogs. It is NOT a 30-minute walk on a lead around the block. It’s a full on extensive exercise, play and stimulation session rolled into one.

— Lisa & Barry owner of big bouncy Boxer RUBEN

Remember my Hound Dog Hotel motto and all will be well :

 A Happy Dog is a Tired Dog  -  A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog    

If you want your dog to be happy, tire them out, they’ll thank you with all their heart.

N.B. I place a high priority on dogs staying at the Hound Dog Hotel having recall - so on our outings they can run leash free.

Golden Retrievers Charlie on the left, Herbie on the right, Kuro Cavoodle in the water plus a random!

Charlie the Golden Retriever, asleep the second he got into the car to go home!

A dog bed's not for my dog (s/he prefers sleeping on the floor!)

Meet Kelly, she didnt used to have a bed - but she loved them all - especailly memory mats which her owner, after her stay here and seeing how comfy she was, has since bought for her.

In this Blog I hope to convince you of the vital reasons why every dog should have a dog bed to meet their needs. But first, a bit about us....

WHAT IS THE HOUND DOG HOTEL?

The Hound Dog Hotel on the Central Coast is an elite, professionally run private dog hotel - with not a kennel in sight!  Dog guests live in a home environment- and to keep it simple we offer only one level of care for your dog – the best there is!

Dogs lucky enough to find themselves booked into the Hound Dog Hotel have the time of their lives – their very own holiday! 

A number of factors make our dog accommodation unique.

Firstly,  unlike large, commercial Pet Resorts, we ensure each guest receives VIP (Very Important Pooch) treatment, by limiting numbers to a maximum of only 4 guests.

Secondly, there are no 24 hour ‘lock downs’ that are so common in dog boarding or kennels. Instead, here our VIPs live in, but have free access to our highly secure grounds. And whether in the gardens or inside the Hotel, they receive personal care - attention, fuss, fun and play – all under our experienced and watchful observation.

Thirdly, unlike kennels, invigorating exercise sessions are included within each full days booking. We take daily trips to stimulating locations for long workouts where our little pack interacts, runs, plays, and maybe some have a little swim.

CHOICE OF LUXURIOUS DOG BEDS

If you've looked at my web site you will often see Leo, he is a regular. He feels it's his duty to try out all the beds - and as you can see he even likes a two tier pair of beds!

Yet another area where we excel is with our exceptionally wide variety of super comfy beds and mattresses. Your dog can pick and choose, after all, if a good bed is essential for our comfort - then it’s just as vital for your hound too! 

BUT MY DOG PREFERS THE FLOOR!

Some of my clients have a bed in every room of their house for their dog (you know who you are!!) But it is quite common for owners, especially of larger breeds with thicker coats, to say they don’t have a bed at home because their dog prefers to sleep on the carpet - or tiles to keep cool.

It’s true that in hot weather beds and mattresses can make a dog too warm, so they head for tiles. However, at the Hound Dog Hotel we run air conditioning day and night in the summer when it’s hot - which is why once your dog has discovered the bliss of a beautiful soft bed below and cool air above they can’t wait to get on it!

PROBLEMS OF DIRECT FLOOR SLEEPING

It’s understandable on seeing thick looking fur coat to assume this affords a dog protection against hard floors. However, rarely are dogs’ coats anywhere near dense enough to provide enough protective cushioning against thousands of times during a life of dropping down onto tiles. You often hear their elbows ‘clunk’ when they hit hard floors.

Here are some really important reasons why every dog should have at least one well padded bed (and be encouraged to sleep on it if they don’t do so automatically) rather than leaving them no choice but hard floors.

Here is dear Twisty, age 14, a big Wolfhound cross breed enjoying the sprung mattress - with a duvet on top as well for even more luxury.

VITAL REASON ONE:
SCALY ELBOWS/CALLUSES (PRESSURE SORES)

Unless you have owned a dog to maturity you would not necessarily know that with age dogs (and larger breeds in particular) are prone to develop unsightly scaly elbows from both the repetitive action of dropping down to the floor  and the constant pressure as the bone rubs on the tiles.  Friction and pressure from hard surfaces cause rough skin, then scales, and eventually a callus will form as the body tries to protect the bony elbow.  

These ugly, scaly sites can crack, and at worst become infected. If a dog continues to lie on hard floors this aggravates the injury and makes it very difficult to cure.

Dogs can also go on to develop swollen elbows fluid-filled hygromas. These have to be drained at the vets. Both cracked callouses and the hygromas are very painful.

These problems are avoidable by ensuring a quality bed is available – but it has to be one that your dog use, so position matters also. more to come on this....

THE BEST BED FOR YOUR DOG

Owners of dogs that do not have a bed of their own at home always express surprise when they see photographs of their dog sleeping on one of my Hound Dog Hotel beds!

But it’s never a surprise to me. It’s just a matter of finding the type of material and level of padding that each dog likes. And with so many beds to choose from at my Hound Dog Hotel doggie guests, just like Goldilocks, eventually every find a bed that suits them, and it’s wonderful to see them snuggle down happily.

The materials in my beds vary dramatically. Some have fibre of the type you find in pillows, others are more dense with different foam fillings.

For very large or heavy dogs I have an IKEA  child’s sprung mattress. The inner springs are encased on all sides by dense foam which has a thick washable outer material – and over which I also place a further washable cover. This bed is very popular with our big dog guests, Examples are Sulla, a Bernese Mountain Dog and Harvey, a 68kg Dogue de Bordeaux.

Even these big boys find it spacious enough to allow them to stretch out fully and be supported from head to tail. But of course they often like to share it with others as they cuddle down with a friend.

Puppy Pepper choosing to push 68kg Harvey off the big bed! She didnt succceed, so decided best just to share.

VITAL REASON TWO   - A PLACE TO CALL HOME

For humans and animals alike, sleeping is a time of refuge and a bed is more than just a bed – it is a retreat. (This is why when trained to get used to them dogs often like crates, because it is a place of safety they can go to – especially when they want to be left alone).

LET YOUR DOG REST - IN PEACE!

All children – from toddlers to young teenagers -  should be taught from the moment a dog comes into the home that it will need to have its own space.

If a dog is tired, stressed or afraid, it’s only way of saying ‘leave me now please’ is to take itself off to its bed. So they should have a position within the home where they can go to rest and be left in peace -  not bothered, or pestered to play when they want to be quiet.

Position matters – it should be sited somewhere reasonably enclosed to give them a feeling of security (next to walls for example) yet ideally also a spot where they can see people approaching - dogs like to see what’s going. The bed then meets the needs of sleeping, comfort, and refuge all in one.

Once a dog has a bed that suits them you’ll soon see a happy hound snoozing in genuine comfort. You might need to persevere to find the right base they preferbut once you have got your dog to use a bed right for them you’ll be contributing greatly to your dogs health and welfare.

So a bed is more than just a place to sleep for a dog. It promotes good health just as it does in us, and ensures your dog doesn’t develop nasty sores or painful elbows.

Never more apt is the phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’.

This little igloo bed was used by Rosie the Cavoodle (she also loved being on pillows on the sofa). We used to laugh when Elly used to try to sleep in it. All the more amusing as she had a big bed of her own!  The dogs do play musical beds though and swop around at will. It's very cute especially when they cuddle up to one another.

This bed is made of the same material as human pillows and very soft. Some dogs prefer foam which is firmer, but others really like this feel - as you can see.

until the next time, happy snoozing - for you and your pooch!   Maralyn